Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa has no issues with Rishabh Pant’s mode of dismissal against Bangladesh. Pant scored an impressive knock of 36 runs off just 24 balls against the Tigers on Saturday but was dismissed while trying to play the reverse sweep.
The left-hander was caught at short third man by Tanzim Hasan Sakib on the bowling of Rishad Hossain. In fact, the southpaw was plumbed in front by Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan when he was trying to play the same shot.
Pant has amassed 152 runs in five matches of the ongoing T20 World Cup at an average of 38 and a strike rate of 135.71 and he is India’s highest run-getter in the tournament.
Robin Uthappa said on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube Channel, “I don’t have an issue with the way he got out. It’s very natural. Because I have done that, right? The reverse sweep was my shot. And I got pummeled, bro, when I used to get up and play the reverse sweep.
Uthappa reckons it is important for a batter to keep believing in his shot-making.
“I remember RCB, Pune Warriors, KKR and a lot of people. And basically, when I kept hearing that same narrative over and over again, you get to a point where you start second-guessing yourself. And that’s the worst thing you can do as a cricketer. The worst thing you can do is second-guess yourself as a cricketer. You don’t want to do that.”
The former flamboyant batter, who was part of India’s 2007 World Cup winning team, added Pant should continue to back his shots as it has yielded him runs.
“And for me, as a cricketer, from the outside, if that is his shot and we have seen him succeed so much with that shot, I will say, bro, double down on it. You want to get out another few times? Get out. It’s okay. So I’d rather have you trusting your instinct and backing yourself and get that working for us, rather than me putting the seed of doubt in your head and you not backing your instincts.
“Because the minute you don’t back your instincts, you might take away one shot. But in the process of taking away one shot, you are taking away more than just one shot. You are taking away three, four, perhaps, arrows in your repertoire or in your quiver where you become less effective.”
India will next take on Australia at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia on Monday.
